Let’s End Surprise Medical Bills

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Surprise! You might be eligible for Medicaid or CHIP

And you can enroll without going through HealthCare.gov

Published: November 15, 2013 07:15 PM

While politiicans and pundits fret over policy cancellations, Obamacare is quietly bringing new Medicaid and CHIP coverage to millions of un- or underinsured Americans who may not even realize yet what they have coming to them. Are you one of them?

The number includes many people who have been eligible for these programs all along but didn’t know it. That is especially true for CHIP, which in many states is available to families with incomes as high as three times the poverty level, or about $71,000 for a family of four. It also includes a huge group who will be newly entitled to Medicaid as of Jan. 1. That’s the date when, in 25 states plus the District of Columbia, the program will expand to cover all households with an income of less than 133 percent of the poverty level.

Our free online tool knows the eligibility requirements in every state for many types of Medicaid as well as CHIP. Run through the questions once for each household member, including kids, and you’ll find out who might be eligible for which program.

Got a question for our health insurance expert? Ask it here; be sure to include the state you live in. And if you can't get enough health insurance news here, follow me on Twitter @NancyMetcalf.

—Nancy Metcalf

Health reform countdown: We are doing an article a day on the new health care law until Jan. 1, 2014, when it takes full effect. (Read the previous posts in the series.) To get health insurance advice tailored to your situation, use our Health Law Helper, below.